2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

[rlown]

well, here are some of the webcams and smoke predictions for the general Sierra: https://rockyags.cr.usgs.gov/dashboards/WebCam.htm

[maverick]

Great work!

SEKI NP:

Park fire management officials resumed control of the Horse Creek Fire in the John Krebs Wilderness of Sequoia National Park this morning. The fire is currently 34 acres and 90% contained. Fire activity has reduced dramatically, with fire mostly smoldering and creeping with a few interior pockets of active flame.

The fire is staffed on the ground by a single crew engaged in patrol, mop-up, and reinforcing fire containment lines where necessary. Smoke from the area may be visible from the Mineral King Road for several days or weeks as interior pockets of fuel are consumed.

Effective today, overnight wilderness users will be able to begin trips from Mineral King-area trailheads, and walk-up permits are being issued for those trails again according to usual policy. The Atwell-Hockett Trail and the Tar Gap Trail have been reopened for regular use.

“We are very thankful to the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team for all their hard work,” says Sequoia Duty Officer Kelly Singer. “This fire had the potential to grow quickly and affect a lot of people. Thanks to the team, and to all the other ground and air resources, it’s in a very manageable place now.”

Firefighters will remain on the ground at the fire until a determination is made by fire management staff to withdraw them, at which point the fire will be patrolled by air.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are experiencing variable smoke impacts due to other fires in the state, including the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County. For daily updates on park air quality, visit go.nps.gov/sekiair.

This will be the last daily update for the Horse Creek Fire unless conditions significantly change.

For more information on the Horse Creek Fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5984/.

[maverick]

USFS:

The Lions Fire is estimated to be 4,267 acres and 92% contained. The fire is burning in the Cargyle Creek area, south of Corral Meadow, on the Sierra National Forest.

The fire is showing slow to moderate rates of growth and is burning in heavy fuels of dead and down and snag (standing dead trees) patches. The area has seen approximately 50% tree mortality from bark beetles.

Fire crews made efforts to directly contain the fire over the past two days. However, this tactic was determined to be neither safe nor viable due to steep terrain, heavy fuels and limited availability of crews.

Today, firefighters will look at options to confine and contain the fire using natural barriers (such as cliff bands) and minimum impact suppression tactics (MIST) within the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

There are two crews and three helicopters dedicated to the incident. More resources are on order.

Warmer and drier conditions are in the forecast, but there is still the potential for lightning and showers in the area.

There is currently no threat to life or property. Smoke may be visible from Minaret Vista, Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Mountain, areas along the Reds Meadow Road, and the Town of Mammoth Lakes.

Additionally, fire crews have been responding to numerous lightning-caused fires in the past week (twelve on the forest, as well as several mutual aid responses). They have been aided by wet conditions. As always, fire crews will focus first on fires in proximity to life and property.

[maverick]

USFS:

[maverick]

https://tools.airfire.org/websky/v1/run ... 00/#viewer

[mmmcferrin]

I'm curious what the air quality is in Emigrant Wilderness. Does anyone know of a resource I can check?

I called Summit Ranger Station earlier today and they said the smoke was bad. I asked how bad, and he said "pretty bad." I could hear in his voice that it likely wasn't good conditions for backcountry play in that area.

[maverick]

Not many of the Sierra webcams are working north of Yosemite.

[Hobbes]

These images remind of the times I've been caught in bad fires: the Star fire in Tahoe, and the summer BC/AB went up in flames while visiting the Canadian Rockies.

[cgundersen]

We need some really BIG fans to blow this stuff away! Maybe Elon Musk can tackle this problem?
cg

[BigMan]

Spent the last 5 days in Miter Basin with no smoke, not even the smell of it.

Until this morning. Woke up at Iridescent Lake to see smoke above the crest. I thought a new east side fire had started. When I reached Cottonwood Pass at 3 pm today I couldn’t see the Inyo Mountains across Owens Valley.